Hejaz Substation & Fort

Northern Saudi Arabia


This is one of the substations located just before the Hejaz Railway terminated at the holy city of Medina. Today this tiny station block and its fort – used by Ottoman soldiers to protect the line – sit on either side of a dirt road along which the track would've run. Both are crumbling examples of early-20th-century Ottoman architecture and the backdrop of desert and mountains offers a glimpse of just how isolated and remote many of the railway's substations were.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Northern Saudi Arabia attractions

1. Masjid Al Qiblatain

7.01 MILES

The Arabic word qibla means 'direction' of prayer, and this mosque is said to have two. One facing Mecca, and another above the entrance (look where…

2. Masjid Miqat

7.45 MILES

The biggest miqat (pilgrim station) complex in Saudi Arabia, this fort-like mosque rises up like a North African kasbah on the southwestern edge of Medina…

3. Ottoman Hejaz Railway Station

8.7 MILES

This beautiful station was part of the extensive Hejaz Railway that brought pilgrims to Medina from as far away as Damascus in Syria. Built on the orders…

4. Uhud Martyrs Cemetery

9.12 MILES

This is an important site in Islam's prophetic narrative. Around 85 martyred soldiers from the Battle of Uhud lie here in graves surrounded by a tall…

5. Holy Quran Exhibition

9.12 MILES

The highlight of this exhibition, which explains the context and historicity of Islam's holiest book, is a collection of nine original Qurans, the oldest…

6. Prophet’s Mosque

9.18 MILES

One of only two mosques in the world that can accommodate a million people, the Prophet’s Mosque holds deep significance for Muslims all over the world…

7. Quba Mosque

10.21 MILES

This was once the village of Quba, where the Prophet Muhammad and his companions, migrating from Mecca to Medina, stopped in AD 622, and where the Prophet…

8. Dar Al Madinah Museum

13.9 MILES

An excellent guided tour in English takes visitors through this private museum's interesting collection, which includes models showing the evolution of…